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Published: June 15, 2008
“A degrading poison that withers life”
President of Human Life International writes to fellow priests about prophecies of Pope Paul VI on social effects of rampant artificial contraception
News from the Trenches
By Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer
 Pope Paul VI has been called a prophet for his intuitions expressed in the 1968 encyclical, Humanae Vitae, about what would happen to society if contraception ever became widely used. But a “prophecy” is much more than just a prediction: it is really a view of reality and an assessment of what happens when the right order of things is snubbed. All the Old Testament prophets told the people of Israel, in unambiguous terms, that they had turned their backs on the Lord’s covenant (God’s view of reality) and that the consequences would be dire if they persevered in that apostasy. Succeeding generations of scholars, who saw the fulfillment of the prophets’ words, then scrupulously wrote their prophecies down for posterity -- lest anyone forget them!
Brother priests, faithful to the Magisterium, in a certain sense, we are the true prophets of our modern times when we teach God’s view of reality to our world. Or rather, we are the scribes who echo the teachings of our great papal prophets for the benefit of our flocks. Let us make sure our people know what the Prophet, Paul VI, said in Humanae Vitae forty years ago so that their marriages, and their souls, will not perish.
The four prophecies of Humanae Vitae are clear, but also stubborn, views of reality. They are unequivocally countercultural. Paul VI said that if a society accepted contraception as a way of life (like all economically developed societies have), then several consequences would inevitably result:
First, contraception would lead to conjugal infidelity. Not hard to see this one, right? When you separate babies from the marital act there is nothing binding that act to, well, marriage. Fornication (pre-marital) and adultery (extra-marital) have thus skyrocketed with the massive practice of contraception.
Second, Pope Paul predicted that contraceptive practice would lead to a “general lowering of morality.” Hmm, let’s see if this one was right: “normal” youthful entertainments in our society today include that despicable MTV channel, hooking up, salacious reality TV shows, heavy metal music, Wicca and the New Age, drugs and ubiquitous Internet porn. In Janet Smith’s famous words: Has anyone noticed a “general lowering of morality” lately?
Third, Paul VI said that contraception would lead men to cease respecting women in their totality and would cause them to treat women as “mere instruments of selfish enjoyment” rather than as cherished partners. Clearly, this prophecy has been vindicated many times over by pornography alone, the most lucrative business in the modern world. That entire industry is singularly dedicated to the “selfish enjoyment” of men.
Finally, the Holy Father said that massive acceptance of contraception by couples would lead to a massive imposition of contraception by unscrupulous governments. He predicted, in other words, that contraception would pass from a “lifestyle choice” to a weapon of mass destruction, and how dreadfully his prophecy has been vindicated by population control and coercive sterilization programs, fertility reduction quotas and the promotion of abortion literally everywhere in the world.
Should the blame for all these terrible evils of our modern times be laid at the feet of contraception? Well, yes -- at least largely so. That’s the truth that we, as priests, must absolutely get clear so that we can hand this on to our people. Contraception’s destruction of the integrity of the marital act -- as unitive and procreative -- has dire consequences for society and for souls. Contraception is a rejection of God’s view of reality. It is a wedge driven into the most intimate sphere of communion known to man outside of the Holy Mass. It is a degrading poison that withers life and love both in marriage and in society. No wonder everything goes wrong when contraception shows up.
The Prophet has warned us. Now it’s our turn to warn our people. Brothers, their very souls are at stake!
(July 25 will mark the 40th anniversary of Humanae Vitae.)
Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 9:47 AM By Timothy Lopez
Fr. Euteneuer is the best! Well said.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 11:52 AM By AnnCA
I like Fr. Euteneuer. I know we Trads tend to give Pope Paul VI a hard time but he got this issue absolutely right. Hit it square on.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 2:49 PM By Weeorphan
Widespread, assemblyline, advertised and state promoted contraception is new, but natural contraception is an ancient individual practice once usually worked from herbal potions. Is it contraception that's the only problem? Think assemblyline high technology as the rest of the story. Our cerebral superiority over the lower animals yields us internet porn, miracle drugs, diabetic coke, synthetic foods, sugar obesity, amphetamines, crack, MTV, cheap condoms, birth control pills, nuclear bombs, and machine guns, DDT birth defects and pollution cancers, plastic bombs and plastic people who perpetually live in pathetic self-indulgence.
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring comes to mind considering the zero birth rates mostly in highly industrialized and 'educated' nations. The meek children of the poor and ignorant will ironically inherit the Earth.
I believe St Francis of Assisi the apostle of simplicity and poverty once said, 'Technology is the devil's hanidwork." Being cast out of Eden, the devil whispers to us the restoration of paradise and eternal youth from high tech devices and biochemistry. As usual Satan promises much but delivers little. Just look around at the mess society is now suffering, despite all the 'miracle' scientific and social advances.
Humanity will never turn back to Adam's penitential sweat-of-the-brow lifestyle, so just ahead of us lies a precarious major crisis that our race may not survive, perhaps a nuclear Armageddon over limited natural resources , a tribulation from which Homo Sapiens mysteriously dissappear from the face of the Earth, ------ for not being not smart enough to replace the trees cut down, and clean the harbors polluted, and scrub the utility smoke stacks, and feed to then educate the poor stripped and robbed by colonization and slavery, for failing to employ natural rhythm disciplines in all aspects of life, ..annihilation to make room for another species that loves and obeys the primitive wisdom of Mother Nature.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 3:35 PM By Anne
Yep! I have lived long enough to have seen everything Pope Paul VI prophesied come true. It started in the sixties with the Pill and just snowballed and snowballed.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 5:00 PM By John L. Sillasen
Nice try, Weeorphan, but I detect a wee bit of pollution in your poetically waxing and taxing treatment of the human plight. Jesus says, "The poor will always be with" us. The Father kick-started humanity by commanding us to populate the planet. Nowhere has God said, "Let there be fewer people". Contrary to your thesis, it is those hostile to God who are depopulating the human race, and those friendly to God who are providing the continuation of humanity. There are those who choose flight, those who choose to fight, and those who choose the Will of God, which ... and I forget which verse ... is "Put the pedal to the metal" ... or did I paraphrase it too loosely? There really is no decent argument against going all out; it's where the Church gets Her clout. Let there be no doubt.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 5:43 PM By Edward Peffer
40 is significant in the Bible, for days or years, and Humanae Vitae's July 25, 1968 ought to trigger a major international promotion of its prophetic teaching. We see the evidence of its rejection in the holocausts of abortions, AIDS, STDs --and in divorces. The rejection by bishops and priests may have come from consensus triggered by Catholic OB/Gyns, and media saturated with "love" focused on physical, and a freedom that contradicts choice of self-control. Fr. Andrew Greeley is the modern equivalent of Pontius Pilate's "What is truth?" Consensus kills truth.
Ed Peffer elpeffer@sbcglobal.net
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 6:14 PM By Fr. M.P.
A great summary of the situation. What's interesting is the 40-year factor. The Israelites were purified over 40 years in the desert. Our modern western society has instead putrefied (morally) in the same 40 year time span by rejecting God's Wisdom. The root is selfish pleasure. Unfortunately we humans many times must learn the hard way. But it will take a major chastisement to re-awaken the sleeping populace now.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 7:46 PM By Elizabeth
For those that have eyes to see and ears to hear the purification has already started. May a God of love, hope and mercy lift the veil of darkness over all mankind to see the light of Jesus Christ that will pave the way to Christ's heavenly kingdom where he will reign for all eternity as king of kings in a kingdom that will have no end.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 9:42 PM By dan
God wants Humane Vitae to be made known. The encyclical is a stirring rebuke to the technology-driven ethics which dictate: if we can do it, it is moral. It is an affirmation of God's created order that nature should be a conduit of grace. God bless Fr. Euteneuer! When we read our Bibles and wonder how Israel could be so stubborn and resist her prophets, all we have to do is to look at the Catholic church theologians, bishops, priests and laity who rejected Humanae Vitae. God bless Pope Paul VI for his courage back in 1968.
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 9:46 PM By Carole
Please go and look at this site... WWW.CATHOLICSAGAINSTCONTRACEPTION.COM ...and go to the "List of Contents" link to get an overview. Please educate others about this comprehensive website, too!
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Posted Sunday, June 15, 2008 11:57 PM By Maria C
Wow! This article was beautifully written! I enjoyed this good read. I hope that it warms the hearts and open ears of many.
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Posted Monday, June 16, 2008 12:05 PM By Elizabeth
If all Priests were as a true shepherd as Father Euteneuer, what an Church we would have!!!!!!!!!!
Pray, Pray, Pray for all of our Priests.
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Posted Monday, June 16, 2008 3:42 PM By Stephanie
All that was prophesized came through. In spades. The worst part is the way men have disrespected women.
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Posted Tuesday, June 17, 2008 7:03 AM By Anne
Yes, disrespect of women is rampant as you say, Stephanie. At least of women who allow themselves to be disrepected. Yesterday I was watching a decent older sitcom on T.V. All of a sudden an indecent commercial came on. In it a homosexual man was teaching women to dress "sexy"--more like protitutes that is. One of them made the comment, "Should I take it all off?" The homosexual man said, "No! I am gay." If this is not setting women up for disrespect, I do not know what is. And these stupid, stupid, women fall for it. Unbelievably such things are actually on T.V. now, and even if one wants to watch something decent, one cannot get away from them most of the time.
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Posted Wednesday, June 18, 2008 4:48 AM By Ingredior
Greetings.I live in Africa where African tribal tradition disallows contraception .I have seen with my own eyes how the uneducated masses who subscribe to these traditions are caught is a spiral of poverty due to huge families which cannot be financially supported.The educated classes who do use contraception flourish and are successful.It is very irresponsible of the church to continue preaching this philosophy when the earth's population is sitting at 6.6 billion.Human sexuality is far more complex than just reproduction.It is easy to sit in a first world country like America and theorise about these things when here in the 3rd world we're confronted with the effects of this sentimental nonsense.Pope Paul vi was not a prophet , he simply advanced opinions based on his obvious lack of experience.Wake up America!
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Posted Wednesday, June 18, 2008 10:42 PM By John L. Sillasen
Poverty is not caused by huge families.
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Posted Wednesday, June 18, 2008 11:09 PM By Anne T.
Ingreditor, has it ever occured to you why the "educated masses" are not teaching you and others the modern and more effective natural family planning methods, and also sharing some of the wealth with the rest of you. Furthermore, there are politicians in my country who refuse to give food, medicine and the essentials of life to your people if abortion, the Pill, etc., is not included in the deal. The contraception industry is a multi-million dollar one in this country.Ingreditor, my life was saved by a priest who told me not to use the birthcontrol pill. I had cancer of the type that the estrogen in the Pill would have caused to spread. Because I listened to that wonderful old man, I am alive today. Artificial contraception is not good for women. We have an epidemic of breast cancer in this country that many people do not tell you about. Many women far younger than I have died from it. I am now a senior citizen. The only thing that will save your country and mine is a return to the moral laws of God in the Bible and the Church. I suggest that you get on the website of Human Life International to find out what is really going on about help to your country. Fr. Euteneur is really a wonderful priest, and he tells the truth.
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Posted Thursday, June 19, 2008 1:52 PM By Anne T.
Ingreditor, I forgot to mention that some of the waters in the United States are carrying deformed fish now. It is from the excessive estrogen pumped from sewage into certain bodies of waters that comes from the women's urine who are taking the birthcontrol pill. Al Gore's movie did not tell you about that one. Did he? You can get information on the web by just putting in such things as "estrogen in the water" or "deformed fish caused by estrogen" in your search engine.
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Posted Friday, June 20, 2008 3:53 AM By Ingredior
With all due respect Mr Sillasen, uncontrolled and irresponsible reprodution DOES cause poverty, I deal with it every day of my life , in this instance you certainly are not an expert.To Anne , I suppose that the excessive polution dumped into the sea by the military industrial complex ( who your president serves so well) has absolutely nothing to do with the deformed fish?
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Posted Friday, June 20, 2008 8:31 AM By John L. Sillasen
Looking at poverty is one thing; another is correctly determining its roots. To blame poverty on family size is to blame it on God, who tells us to multiply. So, if you believe that God is wrong, then that is your problem. If not, then it is only rational to look for a cause other than that. What is real folly is to ascribe the wrong cause of a problem ... because then you'll never find the answer. Jesus tells us that poverty will always be with us ... so you have job security, and I don't see your gripe. Your comment to Anne reveals your abject envy of those of a wealthy and powerful country ... so it looks to me that your marxist roots are exposed. There is nothing wrong with wealth ... you certainly do not have the solution to either industrial problems nor population problems ... all you can do is hate.
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Posted Friday, June 20, 2008 9:35 AM By Anne T.
Ingredior, I just gave you an answer on the section of this website called Traditionalists, Centrists and Modernists. Please go to it and read it. I hope I did not misspell your name.in that post. Although I do not believe you are a Communist, just a concerned person, Communism has contributed to the poverty in Africa and other nations also. There have been times when Communist governments have refused food, etc. to poor people in many countries just because they would not follow the party line. The Communists starved the people in the Ukraine. I personally believe that a government is best when it is between pure capitalism and pure socialism. Too much as either can cause an imbalance of power.
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Posted Wednesday, July 02, 2008 2:21 PM By Tom Henderson
There is no doubt that the pill has changed much of society since its inception around the time of VaticanII. Paul VI was left with a huge problem when he took over the Papacy in mid-stream and compelled to make some very tough decisions. I can support most aspects of Humanae Vitae. My question to all has been irking me for some time. What is the reason the priests, nuns and brothers suddenly left their vows in the late sixties. Catholic education was destroyed. Is it possible that pedophilia is a consequenc of celibacy. The exclusion of women from important facets of the church is the most disturbing. I hope someone has an explanatiom. Otherwise I will be compelled to be educated by Gary Wills.
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Posted Monday, March 22, 2010 8:06 PM By Ed Peffer
Ingredior's practical experience in Africa convinces him the tribes who have too many children need contraceptives. Human Life International, and Fitch Fertility Clinic are busy worldwide with the positive advantages of NFP, near zero divorces, zero abortions. Download Humanae Vitae, and
Pope Benedict's Caritas in Veritate that refers specifically to Humane Vitae. Pontius Pilate relied on consensus for What is truth?" Does Incredior choose consensus also?
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Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010 6:42 AM By MarkF
Tom Hendeson, no, celibacy is not the cause of the abuse of males who are below the age of eighteen years old. Letting men who are homosexuals into the priesthood is the cause. Look at the society as a whole. There is a lot more sexual abuse of minors in other institutions such as the public schools, Boy Scouts, choirs and foster care. An overwhelmingly large percentage of the abuse is male on male, in other words homosexual abuse. The Boy's Choir of Harlam and the Boys Choir of Vienna have both been rocked by homosexual abuse of minors. Many of these abusers were married, or at least have a sham of a marriage. Yet their abuse was all male on male. Being single doesn't make a man into an abusers of boys. Being homosexual gets him half way there. The evidence is all around us.
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